Category: 1 year old

I remember the day before Ella turned two. And she ran out in to a busy road. Thankfully, nothing happened, the traffic stopped, but it took me a while to calm down. I blogged about it (you can read the post here) and it really helped me to get over what happened, getting it down in writing.

Yesterday, something happened that I similarly feel the need to release as it is playing on my mind A LOT!

In our old house, we never bothered with stair gates when Ella was a little explorer. The stairs were in our lounge area, so we could pretty much see when she was heading up. And, until we thought she was confident enough, we would go up with her, holding her hand or standing behind her ready to catch. We didn’t have a stair gate at the top either. It just wouldn’t fit on our banister. She was soon great at coming down on her bum too. And she never fell.

Ella went on a nursery trip to the farm. She doesn’t usually go to nursery on a Monday, so it was a change to our usual routine, but a very welcome one! When Sienna was born, Ella continued to go to her nanna’s one day a week, and nursery another day a week. I got a good bit of one-on-one time with my little newborn.

I can’t really remember those days now, but I do know they weren’t what I’d call easy! Sienna was an unsettled baby. And so our days, just us two, were spent with me trying to settle her, as were our days as a three! I was struggling from sleep deprivation, and any moment I could get, I would snooze.

My little beauty, I can not believe you are already a year old!!! Where has that year gone?!

I vividly remember the day you were born like it was yesterday, and the amazing feeling of lying skin-to-skin with you. I felt so incredibly bonded to you, and still do. We have a special relationship you and I. From only days old, you struggled to settle for anyone but me. You spent a lot of time in my arms, while you were still light enough to hold for any length of time. I would rock you back and forth and you found a way of nuzzling in to my chest for comfort. The hours spent constantly feeding, chaining me to the sofa! Those early weeks are slowly fading from my memory, but I never want to forget how you wanted to be nowhere but with me. Especially when you’re a teenager and the opposite will be true!

She’s also defiant and enjoys winding you up by running the wrong way!!

She’s always been fine walking along roadsides. She either holds on to the pram or trundles alongside me.

Today, that wasn’t the case.

We’d just come out of soft play. Ella ran the wrong way. I shouted her back and she got that defiant look on her face, turned and ran. So I ran after her. She was getting closer and closer to the road and I still wasn’t near enough. I was screaming her name by this point and telling her to stop.

Ella has been a big sister for 11 days now. And so far, it seems to really suit her!

I was never comfortable with her bring an only child. I know how great it is to grow up with your siblings, and it was our intention from day one to give her a sibling, and not to have too large a gap between the two of them.

Ella would point at my tummy during pregnancy, when we asked her where the baby was. But I think she was too young to understand that the baby would soon be on the outside.

hates pregnancy – I wish I could glow throughout it and enjoy every minute, but I don’t!!

but loves being a mum – but those 9 months are so worth it for what you get at the end!

kind of enjoyed giving birth to you – it was very painful, but only took 12 hours and I managed most of it without any pain relief, just a bit of gas and air in the last hour.

secretly wanted a girl – you shouldn’t have a preference, but gun to my head I’d have gone for girl. And a girl you were! This time I have zero preference at all!!

had to give up breastfeeding you – my milk never really came in and I had low supply. I managed three months before my breastfeeding journey came to an end.

did baby-led weaning – you took to food straight away and are still a great eater!

Googles stuff – I can’t help it! Any symptoms, sleep difficulties, problems with eating, whatever it may be, I get on Google. And, with a lot of issues, it’s really helped!

feels like a ‘natural mother’ – motherhood feels like it fits me well. I don’t always know what you want, but I’m calm when that’s the case, and we figure it out together.

likes routine – I like you to nap at the same time, for the same amount of time, and go to bed at the same time at night! I try to be more relaxed with it, but I know it works!!

like my evenings to myself – and this is why I like routine! I love spending the day with you, but there’s lots I can’t do while you’re up, like work, blog, crochet, etc! So, I like to have my evenings to get stuff done!

thinks you’re so beautiful! I could stare at you for ages, and marvel at the fact you’re mine and (with a bit of help from your dad!!) I made you!

loves your developmental stages – I love seeing you grow and develop and to see glimmers of the personality you will have as you grow older. And it’s great to start having conversations with you!

can’t wait to give you a sibling (currently overdue!)! I know it’s going to suit you so much to have another kid round the house. And I can’t wait for your excited face when you get to meet the baby for the first time!

So, as I write this, I’m overdue with baby number 2. Which means, no matter what, we really are in our last days of being a family of three.

Ella is still so young, I almost feel like I have a baby already! She is 22 months now, and still needs a mummy or daddy cuddle now and again. She still occasionally wakes in the night and needs the reassurance that we are not far away. Luckily, unless she’s ill, she goes straight back to sleep once one of us has gone in to settle her. She is demanding more and more, and starting to know what she wants. Her speech is coming on too. But sometimes there are frustrations when we just can’t decipher what she is saying and what she wants, which can lead to tears and tantrums.

I don’t think you realise how dominating teeth can be before you become a parent!

When Ella was about 3 months old, I remember us starting to blame things on her teething. Bit grumpy? Teething! Dribbly? Teething! Pink cheeks? Teething!

The reality was that Ella didn’t get her first tooth til she was 11 months old! Highly unlikely those 3 month old symptoms were anything to do with her teeth!

Now, at 22 months old, Ella only has 10 teeth. She’s been slow to cut her teeth. And she has cut them in a non-typical manner! She has 4 teeth on the bottom, but a big gap after the bottom two before the molars. She’s a little gummy bear, and I love her cute little bottom two teeth!

When we found out I was pregnant with our second baby (which is now due any day!), one of the first things we started thinking about was whether we wanted to move house to create more room. We live in a standard 3 bed semi. Meaning there are two bedrooms of similar size, and a much smaller ‘box’ room.

Having thought about it, we realised we had plenty of room for two kids, and that we’re not ready to leave this house behind yet. So, the next decision was how we were going to organise sleeping arrangements!

I’d always thought Ella would be at least two when we made the move from cot to bed. Not least because her younger sibling will be born any day now and I didn’t want things to change too much all at once!! Plus, I was thinking of how much sleep I’d be getting if the move didn’t go so well!

But, at 21 months, Ella had other ideas! She was sleeping so poorly in her cot, there didn’t seem to be much to lose in making the move, in the hope it would help her sleep.